Canned Cole Slaw Recipe

Coleslaw to can or freeze

1 medium head cabbage
1 large carrot1 green pepper
1 small onion1 teaspoon salt SYRUP
1 cup vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 cups sugar (we used ¾ cup for better results)
1 teaspoon celery seeds (we liked less seeds use ¼ tsp)
1 teaspoon mustard seeds (we liked less seeds use ¼ tsp)

Shred together vegetables. Add the salt. Let stand 1 hour. Drainwater from vegetables.

Boil syrup ingredients together for 1minute, cool. Add syrup to vegetables.

Pack into quart jars andprocess in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes, or put into freezercontainers and freeze. Leftovers may be frozen. This slaw may bedrained before use and mayonnaise added, or used as is.

Dede’s notes: 4/19/08 used 6 one pound bags of coleslaw mix with carrots. Added one large red bell pepper, diced, and one medium sweet onion, diced. Triple the syrup, but double may have been enough. Got 9 pints. GOOD STUFF.

NOTE: Dede gave me permission to share her recipe with the world, this is very easy slaw to can we haven't tired freezing it yet as we always can it instead.

Chicken Paea

I have no idea if I spelled the name right or not it's a spanish recipe and it was delicious! I love simple one pot cooking meals!!! ;-)

Horse Manure

We picked up a load of aged horse manure last night to put on the east garden. First we put down a layer of chipped leaves and compost, then a layer of garden lime, then the manure, then another layer of lime. By the time we were done tilling up the remaining sod in the side yard, to make one continious garden space, it was too dark and too late to chip the remaining leaves to put on top of the manure! This is my first year lasanga gardening.

New Garden Space

South looking north, about 45 feet, maybe more, for veggies, herbs, and flowers.

I grew rather tired of the rabbits destroying my grapevines, like the local thief wasn't bad enough, so the grape arbor is now inside of the fenced area.

The fence runs along the sidewalk which will soon have thyme and other herbs growing to fill in the space.

Above - looking north towards the garden shed. Below - looking south towards the front porch and the street.

We enlarged the east garden combining it with the south garden beside the front porch. Dh will build a raised bed, octagon shaped, to go around the crab apple tree under which we will plant currants and goose berries.

No more fence hopping for me, John's also building a gate for the garden as well. One of the blessings of no longer having a large dog means I don't have to have a large yard for the large dog and it also means less mowing!!! Now to finish planning the guilds to go around the trees .

Trouble in a Tree

Trouble, our attic squirrel - well it is her fifth year or so of living in our attic not our choice mind you - eating crabapples competing with the robins and cedar waxwings.

Cabbage Seedlings

Oregano, Cilantrao, Basil (sweet basil)

Roma Tomatoes

Purple Cabbages (above) and Green Cabbages (below)

I'm hoping they will all make it if so I'll have a bountiful garden this year!

Snow

It's snowing today, hmmm after several days of above 60F weather, it's supposed to be 8F tonight and my peonies and lilies have decided to make an appearance. I hope they survive this experience. The snowflakes are huge the size of half dollars!!!

Tomatos

I started 36 tomato plants tonight - since they are heirloom seeds that are older I planted extra to see if any actually would germinate. I have a couple of weeks yet before it's too late to start seeds. These are large roma variety that has been handed down from my grandfathers the fruit are about the size of grapefruits, a little larger actually, and occassionaly I get yellow romas instead of red. I'll know more in a week.

Silky 1998-2009

This was the last picture I took of Silky today - we took her to the vet around 5ish and sent her over the rainbow bridge. She just didn't have the energy to pull through this one.